The Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series is an eyeful as well as a mouthful

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, bling is best described as ‘ostentatious, flashy, or glorifying conspicuous consumption’. The new Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 could serve as a visual metaphor for all three.

Although the new car’s acoustic exhaust is tweaked to offer a quieter drive, this convertible is visually very loud indeed. The automotive equivalent of a Louis Vuitton handbag, the latest machine from Mercedes’ super-upmarket Maybach division simply can’t help but shout about its luxury credentials.

Revealed in 2024 in Pebble Beach, the marque’s first run of ‘Monogram Series’ cars is liberally plastered in the brand’s double-M logo – literally hundreds of them. Around 400 are daubed on the bonnet alone, with several hundred more making a pop-up appearance on the folding fabric roof.

Some say the venerable SL has suffered from an identity crisis for decades but thanks to Maybach’s overstated design, Mercedes’ open-roof grand tourer will soon be out of therapy for good. The antithesis to a stylish Bentley Continental or Aston Martin DB12 Volante, the new SL 680 is a big V8 cruiser based on the £177,000 Mercedes-AMG SL 63.

A 4.0-litre biturbo engine produces 577bhp and 590lb ft of torque, linked to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and permanent all-wheel drive. Despite a price hike over the SL 63, the £241,000 Mercedes-Maybach is strangely half a second slower from 0-62mph, covering the distance in 4.1 seconds. The ‘noise-optimised’ exhaust probably plays a part in calming things down – plus a luxury grand tourer likely doesn’t need the performance equivalent of a six-pack when it’s swathed in designer labels.

Cruising the coastline of exuberant and upmarket Ibiza, the SL 680 quickly comes into its own. Despite the hugely powerful engine, this is a laid-back convertible that wafts comfortably rather than roaring in anger. You can thank a suspension system that replaces conventional anti-roll bars with a hydraulic set up for the more pliant ride.

There are also four drive settings – Comfort and Maybach offering the smoothest response from the accelerator. Sport makes best use of the V8, while drivers can also tweak the drivetrain to their own personal choice using Individual.

Two Monogram Series cars were on show in the Balearics, both with cabins swathed in Crystal White Nappa leather. Exposed metal is mostly trimmed in chrome, with stainless steel foot pedals and door scuff plates. Mercedes’ MBUX screen technology controls in-car functions, including the very high-end Burmester sound system. Those blinding white leather seats also bear the monogram.

While the rear seats in an SL were effectively limited to extra luggage space or a brace of dogs – think Dachshund not Labrador – Maybach’s designers have sensibly dispensed with them altogether. Instead, aerodynamic double scoops add a more elegant profile.

Elsewhere, Maybach mayhem continues right around the bodywork. The SL is the first Maybach model with a ‘brand-specific’ radiator grille. Perhaps inevitably, the vertical slats are illuminated, while even the rear lights feature a logo, as does the branded exhaust pipe trim.

‘We wanted to surprise, inspire and excite our customers,’ explains Maybach chief, Daniel Lescow. ‘With the SL Monogram Series, we’re offering them the sportiest and most extravagant model we’ve ever created. It’s a true Maybach. In line with the brand philosophy, it offers a holistic, sensual experience.’

A bejewelled expression of modern extravagance, the Maybach SL 680 will be a ‘must have’ in some markets, an accessory that’s more akin to a handbag than a supercar.

Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series, from £241,000, Mercedes-Benz.com, @MercedesMaybach